To Each Other Turn
by this-zombie-life
Summary: A chronicle of the friendship and relationship that grows between Lydia and the Dragonborn over the course of their lives. Rated M for potential violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

When I first started _Skyrim_ last November, I was blown away – not just by the gigantic world, but by the characters within it. One of the most noticeable of these was Lydia – the housecarl that the player obtains by becoming Thane of Whiterun. Due to a bug in the release version of the game, however, the player was unable to marry her. This really bothered me – out of all the housecarls, she's easily the most interesting. This bug led to a long session of forming a headcanon where the bug would make sense, and this fic is part of that result. Hope you enjoy.

Also, the title is a reference to this quote by the English politician and writer Joseph Addison:

Great souls by instinct to each other turn,  
Demand alliance, and in friendship burn. (_The Campaign_, line 102)

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing here, save for my Dovahkiin. Don't sue.

**To Each Other Turn**  
_Chapter One_

Leaning against the decrepit Breezehome, Lydia watched the comings and goings of Whiterun's citizenry. _Every day, the same thing. In and out, Adrianne at the forge, sniping between the Battle-Borns and Grey-Manes...by Talos, you'd think they would realize how idiotic their little feud actually is one of these days. _She had made this a habit from when she was a young girl and her father would take her to the local market, and she had continued doing so after his death as a way to keep his memory alive. There was little about a person she couldn't make out, given enough time. _Though, if you're being honest with yourself, that's more due to you not being accepted than anything else-_

Her self-flagellation was abruptly cut short as the town drunkard slammed into her and tumbled to the floor. She reached down to help him, and recoiled as he slapped her hand away. "Don't need yer help, freak," he muttered. "I know all about your little _hic_ preferences, so does everyone, and it's _hic_ disgusting. Should just wander and let a Sabre Cat end it for ya."

Lydia sighed as he walked off. "Yeah, apology accepted. It's quite all right that you ran into me, and you still felt it necessary to insult me," she said to herself. As she resumed her position, she saw a new face heading through the crowd. In itself, that wasn't unique – Whiterun had plenty of visitors to Dragonsreach, for instance, or young men and women seeking to join the Companions in Jorrvaskr. What was unique was the man himself, Lydia thought. The man was easily a head and a half taller than most Nords, and was built more like a cave bear than any kind of man. His arms were twice the size of her own thighs, and his torso would have looked normal on a small giant instead of a man. He moved with comfort and ease through the crowd despite his sheer mass, eyes focused on the stairs leading up to the Wind District and beyond. Lydia focused as he moved closer. _Steel gray hair and beard, maybe older? No, no lines around his face or eyes. Prematurely gray, that's it. Eyes are gold, the eyes of a hawk. Maybe an archer?_ She turned her gaze to the man's armaments. _An ax and a bow, but no shield? That armor isn't well-made enough to forgo a shield. Are those...scorch marks? By Shor, they're on everything from his shoulders to his boots. A smith, then?_

She was so caught up in her own thoughts she had failed to notice that the stranger had shifted his course, and was heading straight for her. She only realized it when he had stopped directly in front of her, and Lydia had to shake her head to realize he was actually speaking to her. "Excuse me?"

"It's alright," the man said. His voice was rich, a deep baritone that rumbled from the base of his mass. "Which way is Dragonsreach? I have a message for the Jarl, and it's very important."

_Hints of a Cyrodilic accent, despite clearly being from Nord stock._ "You're on the right track. Up those stairs, to the Wind District, then up the next set to the Cloud District." Lydia smiled and pointed as she spoke, and it amazed her that the stranger was apparently wholly devoted to her answer.

"Thank you much," the man replied, and turned to walk away. Lydia had just leaned back against the wall when he turned and extended a hand. "Erick Blizzard-son, son of Rickard. Pleased to meet you...?"

Without realizing it, Lydia automatically leaned forward and took his hand. "Lydia, daughter of Stellan. Pleased to meet you as well, Erick." The two shook once, twice, and then released hands.

The stranger – Erick, she reminded herself – reached into a satchel on his belt, and pulled out a small band of woven mountain flowers. He placed them in her hand. "Take this, with my thanks. My hands were anxious on the walk here from Riverwood."

Lydia looked more closely at the gift. The flowers were simple red and blue mountain flowers, with a purple bloom mixed in at irregular intervals. Woven together, they made something not unlike a circlet. "Thank you, but I can't accept a gift just for helping someone– "

"Of course you can," Erick said, a hint of a smile on his face. "Besides, I have the feeling you needed some good news today. I hope to see you again, Lydia."

Lydia watched as Erick moved away from her, through the crowd and up the stairs. She stopped watching him only when the man's form disappeared beyond the stairs into the Wind District. She glanced down at the floral circlet in her hand again, and smiled to herself. _Well, I suppose new things do happen once in a while..._


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next section. I have another in the editing phase, so it should show up in a matter of days. Also knee-deep in the fourth. There will probably be right around nine, all in all.

Standard disclaimer again - I don't own anything, other than the character of Erick. Don't sue.

**To Each Other Turn**_  
Chapter Two_

Klimmek craned his head backwards – if he squinted his eyes _just_ so, he could barely make out the duo who had offered to make his pilgrimage up to High Hrothgar. It was awfully kind of them, he thought, to offer to carry the supplies up to the Greybeards. He knew when they approached him that they were an adventuring team – that much was clear from the way neither of them let their gaze linger in the same direction overlong, or the way that even when standing still they always faced two different directions – but he couldn't figure out the relationship between the two. He thought it odd that while the pair were both clad in well-made armor likely fresh from the forge, the man wore light leather armor while the woman was clad in heavy steel. He held a hand up to his face, tried to block the sun, but couldn't find the pair again.

# # #

The snow crunched under Lydia's boots as she took another step up towards the Greybeard's monastery and, apparently, her Thane's destiny. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the brisk mountain air and the quiet. She turned to the man beside her, clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Regret killing that dragon now, friend?" she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

Beside her, Erick smiled. "No, just regretting dragging you along. By Shor, seven thousand steps! Apparently 'practicality' wasn't on this Jurgen Windcaller's mind." The two stopped on a ledge overlooking Ivarstead, and in silence enjoyed the view. Erick motioned towards the shield Lydia had strapped to her arm. "Isn't that heavy? Does it throw you off balance?"

Lydia moved her shield arm back and forth, loosening the muscles. "No, but it did when I first started training as a girl. I'm actually left-handed, which is why my father trained me to use the shield here instead of here," she said, raising her left hand first and then her right. "Since I'm stronger with the left, and since it's my natural reaction to ward off blows with my dominant hand, the shield goes there. I had to train doubly-hard to build up the right to swing a weapon strongly enough to damage, but that was just another aspect of becoming a warrior."

A hint of a grin touched one side of Erick's mouth. "'Just another aspect,' eh? Don't sell yourself short. I've seen more than most in my thirty-one years, and your skill in combat isn't easily achieved."

Lydia felt the blush spreading on her cheeks. _He gives compliments like that so readily, but so earnestly at the same time. Is he just saying what I want to hear, or does he mean it? Would he still think so, if he knew...? _She looked out towards the horizon, and saw the sun was just now fully cresting the countryside. She motioned towards the scabbard on Erick's belt. "How do you manage to plan blows and still cast spells with the other hand? You talk about skill, but I just block and hit. It's just a rhythm. I can't imagine being able to concentrate on something so intricate as spellcasting during combat."

Erick looked down at his hands, flexing them both; first the right, his sword arm, and the his left, the hand that was so often light by the arcane light of some spell or other. "Honestly, I don't think about it. My family has always had strong magical ties, according to my father, but he wouldn't go into more detail than that. I guess our Nord blood never let us trust it completely, because he trained me to fight like this," he motioned to the sword on his left and then his left hand, "just as he did. Father always called the style being a 'spellsword,' but Mother always laughed and just called it being a 'red mage.'"

Lydia frowned. "'Red mage?' I don't understand what she meant?" She looked away from the horizon towards her Thane, only to catch his eyes tightening.

"It was an old joke my grandfather told when I was just a boy. 'Light you on fire, and then I'll heal your pain. Just to burn you again, and then I'll cut you in two. It takes three men just to do what I do!'" Erick said, with a deep sigh. He had just turned away to continue upwards when he heard his housecarl clear her throat nervously. He turned to her, and asked, "What is it, Lydia? Something wrong?"

The woman shook her head, her dark hair shedding snowflakes. "No, no, nothing like that. I was just curious...what brought you to Skyrim, Erick? You never made mention of anything before Helgen on the trip here, and you just only now mentioned your family."

Erick stiffened, and Lydia panicked. _Oh no, I've pushed too far. We haven't even been together a month, and I've already ruined it._ "No, it's fine," she blurted out. "I'm sorry for pushing, it's none of my busine-"

"Calm down, Lydia. It's fine. I, ah..." Erick drifted off, looking away from her and back out to the vista. "You deserve to know. It isn't anything I need to hide...just not used to talking about it." He turned to start climbing again, and Lydia fell into step beside him. Just as she was about to open her mouth to apologize, he began to speak again.

"My father fought in the Great War, in the Imperial Legion. He was one of the front-line troops who retook the Imperial City from the Aldmeri Dominion." His voice was distant, and when Lydia risked a glance at him, he looked as though he was reading from a history text. "He never talked about the war, but he never used any Destruction magic once he returned to our farm. Not even to start a fire."

The pair stopped on another plateau, and Lydia remained silent, content just to listen as her Thane spoke. Erick cleared his throat, and continued. "It was four months and three days after the White-Gold Concordant was signed that three Thalmor showed up outside our door. They said they wanted to 'make sure none of us had any Talos-related paraphernalia.' My family had never been particularly religious, but my father was a very private man. He saw no reason to allow any official, from any government, onto his own private land without a due reason."

Even in the cold, Lydia felt her skin blanch. _Oh Talos..._

Erick looked down, and pushed a small rock off the ledge of the plateau with the toe of his boot. "Father, being who he was, refused. The Thalmor took that for an admission of guilt. They ran him through in the doorway, right in front of Hannah - my little sister, I had a little sister. Mother and I had been in the back, and we came running when we heard her screams. There was a small stream that ran through the back of our farm. I was down by it, cleaning the fish for dinner. Mother was right by the back door." He stopped, and Lydia noticed his hands were balled into fists. "By the time I got there, Hannah was holding Father and Mother was pacing back and forth. The elves were lecturing, warning that further refusal would only cause more trouble. Mother snapped. I'd never seen her use magic before that day, but suddenly there was fire erupting from one palm and lightning from the other. One of the elves screamed as his flesh burnt off. Another managed to fight through the electrical current and hit Mother in the head with the guard of his sword, and as I ran to help her, the last elf raised a hand and hit me with a shard of ice. It cut through my shirt, went right through my abdomen."

Erick touched a small spot on the outside of his armor, about two inches below his sternum. He trailed off into silence again, and after a few moments, Lydia cleared her throat again. "I'm...Erick, I'm so sorry. You don't have to tell me, I mean we don't have to talk about this-"

Her Thane simply raised a hand. "It's fine. I'm not finished." He took a skein of water from his back, and drank deeply. He offered it to Lydia, who accepted it and cautiously drank while waiting for him to continue. "When I came to, my hands were tied behind my back. Hannah was beside me. Mother was spread on the kitchen table. The remaining two elves were...violating her" he said, his voice breaking as he finished the sentence. "They made the two of us watch. They said if we didn't, they would use Hannah in the same way after they finished with Mother."

White-hot fire raged through every inch of Lydia's body. "Despicable, vile **beasts!**" she snarled. "They deserve nothing but a sword in the gut and a shallow grave, all of them."

Erick didn't respond. "It felt like three hours before they were finished. By the end, she couldn't even cry. They slit her throat, and put her and Father on these contraptions in the front yard. They put nails through their hands and feet, and left them like that in the yard. As a message, I guess. Before they left, the one who had attacked me came over and grinned. 'Oh, don't worry, we didn't forget about either of you. For your sister, we have a life-changing surprise,' he said, and he...he cut out her tongue. With a kitchen knife. He laughed as he did it. He turned to me and said, 'As for you, my young friend, you get to remember the powerlessness. You couldn't save anyone, just like your beloved little Empire.' They left soon after."

Lydia opened her mouth, wanting to say something - to comfort him, to share in his rage, anything - but no words came.

"It took me three hours to get free, and another two to use all the magicka potions in the house in a vain attempt to the heal the both of us. I was left with a scar, and Hannah was effectively rendered mute. We went to the authorities, but they couldn't do a thing. We had nothing left. The two of us decided to head North, to see the land of our forefathers."

Lydia reached out, putting a hand on his arm. When Erick didn't move to stop her, she kept it there. "What happened to her? You've never mentioned her..."

"Two weeks before I crossed into Skyrim, we set up camp in the woods. I was making dinner, and she gave me a package and told me to only open it when we reached our destination. When I woke up, she was gone. I have no idea where she went, or even if she's still alive. She may have killed herself to be with our parents. I don't know." His voice was flat as he finished, and he turned and immediately began walking.

Lydia hurried to catch up, but she knew she couldn't do a thing to ease the kind of pain experiences like her Thane had lived through caused. _Still, he opened up to me. It can't hurt to try, right?_ "I, uhm. My mother, I never knew my mother. She passed in childbirth. The only family I ever had was my father. We worked a small farm just east of Riften, and he would teach me to read and write in the evenings. When I got old enough, he decided to train me to be a knight. He told me that my mother had wanted me to be a princess, but 'if you're gonna be a princess, little Lydia, you'll be one who rescues herself.'"

Erick slowed down, and she saw some emotion work its way back onto his face. "He sounds like an excellent man. He must have been, to raise such an excellent woman."

_I broke his heart when he found out, but he never stopped loving me._ "He...when I was fifteen, so about twelve years ago now, a group of boys came to the farm from Riften while he was out. They called me a tease, said I wasn't 'playing nice.' One tried to force his way in, gave me this scar," she said, craning her neck to the side and showing a ragged 4 inch line down her shoulder. "When Pop came home and saw it, he was furious. He stormed into Riften and killed the boy, right in front of everyone in the market. He died in the keep. Turned out the boy had...connected parents."

Erick paused, and turned to her. His voice was soft. "He did what any father should have done, Lydia." He looked down at the snow-coated steps. "He did was I wasn't able to do."

Lydia looked over Erick's shoulder, on up the trail to keep the tears from her eyes. "After his death, I sold the farm and moved to Whiterun. They weren't the nicest of people, but they were much better than the ones in Riften. I got into contact with Irileth, and she hired me in as one of the Jarl's extended bodyguard. So much for being a knight, or a princess. Just a sellsword who got lucky," she spat out.

Erick stopped, and put a hand on her shoulder. He pointed out to the sky, and cleared his throat. "Who we are, is not what we have to be. What we've experienced, is not how we must be. _Sic parvis magna._"

Lydia looked out at the horizon, then back to the man beside her. "What was that?"

Erick took a deep breath, and then let go of her shoulder. "Another of my grandfather's old sayings. He never told me what language it was in, but it means 'greatness from small beginnings.' We don't have to be just a sum of our experiences, Lydia. Maybe..maybe you can help me with that. And I, you."

Lydia nodded, and she felt a hint of a smile on her lips. _Pop, I hope you can see this from Sovngarde. You would have enjoyed this too, I think._ "I'll do my best, my Thane. After all, I am sworn..."

"'...to carry my burdens,' I know, I know. Now stop lollygaggin'." Erick started walking again, and Lydia moved beside him. They may both have been broken, she thought, but broken didn't always have to mean discarded.

* * *

The bit about the red mage comes from the song "FINAL FANTASY (LP of D)," by Duane and BrandO. I was linked to it through the red mage entry on tvtropes. As for the gratuitous Latin, it's clearly from the _Uncharted _series. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Here we are, the third oneshot in our progression! Please, make sure you read the author's note after the end - it should hopefully explain a lot. Please review, by the way! I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about this, and suggestions/things you liked/constructive criticism!

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing, save Erick. Don't sue me.

**To Each Other Turn**  
_Chapter Three_

Carlotta raised both her arms over her head and stretched, feeling her muscles relax. She looked to the woman standing by the bedside, watched as she flexed and moved while she drank from the cup of water she kept on the bedside table. _By Dibella, she's beautiful_ she thought. Where she was soft, her partner was hard; she had a decent figure from working the stall and chasing Mila around, but it was nothing like what she saw in front of woman was marked by heavy tan lines where her armor ended, and her bare skin was only marked by a few sparse freckles and a few scars. _Thank Akatosh she only has those few,_ Carlotta thought.

She looked again. _Arms like perfectly forged steel. Shoulders that could bear the weight of the Divines._ Her eyes roamed lower, and she saw the distinct sculpting of abdominal muscles move as the other woman drank. The deep cuts on either side that marked where her legs met her torso glistened with fresh sweat, and it only served to highlight how simultaneously feminine and powerful she was. Her legs were taut, and they reminded Carlotta of nothing so much as a prowling Sabre Cat ready to pounce. "How in the world did I get so lucky?" she asked, smiling up at her partner.

Turning, Lydia looked down at her. "Don't ask me, I'm the lucky one" she replied, a smile touching her kiss-bruised lips. She moved back to the bed, sitting on the edge and resting a hand on Carlotta's hip. "I'm glad we've been able to see each other so often lately. Before it felt like we were only catching spare moments to ourselves."

Carlotta nodded. "I agree. What's kept your Thane so busy lately, anyway?" A smirk touched her lips. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you..."

Lydia laughed. "Erick has been alternating between working with Adrianne down at Warmaiden's and working with the Companions. The two of us pooled all the gold we had to renovate this place," and she motioned to the house around them. "I guess he wants to build up some funding."

Carlotta patted the bed beside her, and Lydia moved up and laid out beside her. "I'm not complaining, believe me." She leaned down and kissed Lydia softly, pressing her full lips against her partner's. They were cool and soft.

Lydia leaned upward into the kiss, sliding a hand into her partner's thick curls. "I love you, Carlotta," she whispered. Lydia always whispered it; she had been ostracized too often for how she felt, and she never got over her fear that saying such things any louder than a whisper would simply cause them to cease to exist.

"I love you too, Lydia. I waited so long to find you," Carlotta replied. They kissed again, simply content to enjoy themselves without worry or concern. They were so lost in each other that they never heard the front door, and never heard the footsteps coming up the stairs.

# # #

Suddenly the bedroom door swung open, and Erick's voice boomed as he entered. He felt no need to knock; both he and Lydia regularly walked into each other's chambers. "Lydia? I need your opinion on this sword, I think the balance might be off-"

He finally entered the room, and his voice immediately cut off. In front of him was his housecarl along with Carlotta Valentina, a woman from the market he had befriended soon after establishing himself in Whiterun. Lydia immediately pulled a fur over the both of them, and Erick turned his back on the two. It seemed as though everyone was speaking at once.

"I'm so sorry for barging in, I didn't realize you had someone over-" he said.

"My Thane, oh Divines, this...this-" Lydia stammered.

"Oh, no..." Carlotta said, her voice utterly defeated. She buried her face in one hand, the other remaining on Lydia's shoulder.

_I'm just embarrassing her! Find an excuse to leave!_ he thought. "Again, my apologies for barging in," he said, and quickly walked back through the door. The two women heard heavy footsteps down the stairs, and the swinging of the door as it closed.

Lydia immediately started to pull on clothes. Carlotta watched as she quickly pulled a simple dress over her head, and slipped her feet into leather boots. Lydia turned to her partner, and kissed her one last time. "Don't worry," she said. "I'll handle this. Mila won't face any consequences, I swear it."

# # #

Stepping into the fresh air, Lydia forced her breathing to slow. _Think, woman! You've faced down dragons! You can handle this!_ She looked left, down towards the city gate and Warmaiden's, but didn't see Erick. She turned her head up towards the market, but again there was no sign of her Thane. She brushed a stray band of hair behind her ear, and suddenly a flash of remembrance flashed through her mind. _Of course! The guard post behind the house! Erick loves watching travelers and traders passing by on the roads._ She walked around the house, and sure enough, she saw her Thane's massive build leaning on the city wall looking out over the fields.

Forcing herself to swallow, she walked towards him. When she was within speaking distance, she cleared her throat. "First off, my Thane, I will understand wholeheartedly if you wish to petition the Jarl for a replacement. Let me say that it's been an honor to-" She frowned. _Is he...chuckling?_

Erick turned to face her, and wiped a tear from his eye. His face was broken by a large grin. "Lydia, dear sweet Lydia. I must say, at least now I know why my advances fell on deaf ears!"

Lydia blushed. She hadn't thought anything about the gifts of flawlessly smithed armor or weapons, nor the jewelry. To her, they had simply been the hallmarks of the start of a successful friendship. _By Mara, how could I have been so stupid?_ she thought.

Erick moved a few steps closer. "I won't pretend I'm not embarrassed. That said, why in the world would I petition Balgruuf for a replacement? Because you happen to love someone who everyone isn't comfortable with?" He rested both hands on Lydia's shoulders, and made her look up at him. "Lydia, I consider us more than simply Thane and housecarl. At the very least, you're my best friend. I trust no one more. If you've found happiness, then I endorse it fully. It doesn't matter to me who you find it with, only that you found it."

Lydia gasped, and realized she hadn't been breathing while her Thane spoke. _I...I cannot believe this. First I'm awarded a position as housecarl, then I meet Carlotta...now my Thane accepts me for who I am?_ She smiled, her teeth flashing white. "My Thane – no, Erick – I can think of no greater honor than being your friend. Thank you, so much," she said as tears streamed down her face. "I...I've never been accepted for this, anywhere. You're sure you're fine with it?"

The man in front of her nodded. "I'd like to spend more time with her, of course. I have to make sure she's good enough for you, right?" He raised a hand from her shoulder and ruffled the dark hair on her head. "Now, come on. I'm worried she might be having a heart attack."

Lydia nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The two began the short walk back to Breezehome, and Lydia swore she saw the ghostly figure of her father smiling at her from behind the corner of Belethor's shop. _Oh Pop...if this isn't really happening, please wake me up. Please wake me up._ Her thoughts never materialized, however, as Thane and housecarl – _no, as friends_ – walked side by side.

# # #

A few days later, Lydia was walking with Mila through the market. She would have never risked it before, despite the child's lack of understanding as to _why_ it would be frowned upon. After being found out by Erick, she and Carlotta had decided they could risk being a bit more open with their relationship; after all, if the Dragonborn himself could accept them, why couldn't the regular people they lived and worked beside? Lydia looked down and watched Mila focus intently on the stalls around her. It amazed her to no end how tightly the little girl clutched her hand, nor her willingness to openly shower Lydia with affection. She looked down the path, and saw Erick hard at work at Warmaiden's. Sparks flew into the air each time he brought his hammer down upon the molten metal, and she shook her head. _How many times do I need to remind him to wear gloves? He's lucky he doesn't burn all the skin off his hands._

Her internal dialogue was cut off by Mila tugging on her hands. "Lydia, can you lift me so I can see what's on the stall here? I wanted to buy Mom something nice."

Lydia smiled down at her. "Sure, pumpkin. Hold on, OK?" She bend and looped an arm around the girl, easily raising her so that she could look at the jewelery on display. The two of them were looking at the necklaces and rings when Lydia caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, isn't this lovely!"

Lydia turned, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Sure enough, Nazeem was standing there. The Redguard had never bothered to hide his condescension or disgust for her, but she had hoped he would be civil enough to hold his tongue in front of Mila. "Hello, Nazeem. Good to see you."

A smile touched the Redguard's lips; to Lydia, it only made him look like a viper. "Good to see you as well, Lydia. Housecarl now, huh? That's impressive...certainly seems that Balgruuf managed to pass you off onto someone else."

Lydia set Mila down, and eased the girl behind her. "Nazeem, go home. You don't need to speak like this right now."

"Oh, but why not? Certainly the girl knows what a piece of Divines-forsaken trash her mother is, and you, let's not get started on how utterly disgusting you are. All dressed up in Daddy's armor, pretending to be a man so well you're even chasing skirts-"

Suddenly, a deep baritone echoed throughout the market.

_**"WULD NAH KEST!"**_

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. People panicked, looking skyward at the sound in a vain attempt to spot an attacking dragon. Lydia looked down towards Warmaiden's, but all she caught were leaves and grass waving in the backdraft. Suddenly, as though he had been there the entire time, Erick was standing between her and Nazeem. Red-hot coals were still simmering on the black apron he wore; Lydia caught a glimpse of her friend's face, and she had never seen such anger in his features before.

# # #

"...you're even chasing skirts-ACK!" The words died in Nazeem's throat as he found himself suddenly dangling above the ground, with a gigantic hand on his throat. He looked down, and saw the new Thane holding him aloft. _Where did he come from?_ "I, uug, I can't breathe-"

The hand tightened on his neck. "I know. You don't need the air, as you'd only use it to spout more filth," Erick spat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the guard running towards the market, though, they slowed and sheathed their weapons. In the other direction, he saw several of the Companions walking down the steps from Jorrvaskr – he made out the twins Farkas and Vilkas, as well as Aela the Huntress. He locked eyes with Aela, and shook his head in a subtle back and forth. She nodded, and held the twins back with a hand on each of their shoulders.

Turning his attention back to Nazeem, Erick shook the man hard and heard him sputtering for air. He shook him again, and then threw him to the ground. The Redguard landed some ten feet away, and he turned to face the crowd. "I've had enough of this!" he snarled, and with one hand he urged Lydia in front of him. Mila clung to the back of his legs. "This is one of the best people I've ever had the honor to know. She is my best friend, and from this day forward, any insult leveled towards her, Carlotta, or Mila is an insult to _**me**_! Get over yourselves!" He raised an arm as he spoke, gesturing to the world around them. "Dragons are returning, a civil war is tearing us apart, and all you can bring yourself to care about is who loves who? By Mara, I'm ashamed! Of all of you!"

Behind him, Lydia looked at the faces in the crowd. None of them dared to look up from the ground save Carlotta at her stall; they locked eyes, and she saw the mixture of terror and respect she herself had sported the first time she had witnessed Erick Shout. She thought she caught the backs of several Companions heading back up the stairs to the Wind District, but she couldn't make out who they individuals were.

In front of them, Nazeem had finally gotten to his feet. "I want that man," he gasped, "arrested! Guards! Guards?"

None of the guards replied; indeed, all but one of them had already turned their backs on the man. Only one remained, and Lydia could have sworn she saw him wink at her before shoving Nazeem hard in the shoulder. "No lollygaggin'. And if I hear one insult directed at the lady here, I'll haul you up to the dungeon myself."

Erick turned, and simply nodded at her. He reached down and ruffled Mila's hair, and then headed back to the forge. Fralia Gray-Mane cleared her throat, and then looked Lydia in the eye. "Now, didn't I hear the young lady say she wanted to find something for her mother?" Mila nodded, still clutching Lydia's hand. The older woman bent down, and held up a hand to hide their mouths. "Why don't you just come around back, and see what I have special? I'll even give it to you for a discount..."

Mila smiled. "A discount? Lydia, didja hear that?"

Lydia smiled down at her, then mouthed a silent "thank you" to Fralia. The older woman simply nodded, and took Mila by the hand as they crouched behind her stall. Lydia took the chance to walk over to Carlotta's stall. "You OK?" she asked, reaching out and resting her hand on her lover's arm.

Carlotta smiled at her, her hand shaking as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I just...I've never seen anything like that."

Lydia nodded. "I know, it's disorienting when he Shouts like that. You see him, see the sheer mass of his body, and assume he'd be slow. Thing is, more muscle often translates into speed as well as power, and when you add on the _Thu'um_-"

Carlotta frowned. "Oh, no, not that! I meant the way he stood up for you, for us – I've never seen anyone do something like that before! He swooped in like some hero from a story and just...rescued you. Rescued Mila." She reached up with her own hand, squeezing Lydia's. "If he does that to defend you from a bully, I think I can rest easier when the two of you head out on your quests."

Lydia leaned in and gently kissed her on the forehead. "See? I told you we're fine."

Just then, Mila came scampering back over. She had both hands clutched behind her back. "MomMomMomguesswhatIgotforyou!" she squealed, her words rushing out in a giant exhale.

Carlotta smiled, bending down to her daughter. "What, hun?"

Mila smiled, and pulled her left hand from behind her back. She slowly opened it, and it was a ring of simple silver with a leaf pattern set into the metal. Carlotta smiled. "Oh, I love it! Thank you so much, baby!" She took the ring from Mila, and eased it on her finger.

Mila turned and faced Lydia, and dug her toe into the dirt. Lydia bent down as well, and offered a smile at the young girl. "Why so shy all of a sudden, pumpkin?" she asked.

Mila looked up, and chewed on her upper lip. "I, uhm,," she blurted out. Lydia opened her mouth to respond, but Mila just kept going. "I'malsoreallygladyou'remyMomtoosoIgotyousomething." She pulled her other hand out, and slowly opened it; instead of a ring, she was holding a simple silver necklace with a charm of a shield on it. "It's to protect you, like you protect us."

Lydia smiled down at her. "Thank you, pumpkin. I love you, too" she said, and pulled the girl to her for a hug. She felt Mila burying her face into her hair, and Lydia closed her eyes for a moment.

"Goodness now, is this a free hug party?" Erick asked, walking back up to them and folding his blacksmith's apron in his hands as he moved. "Where's mine, huh?" he asked, joking. His eyes widened in shock as Mila didn't hesitate; indeed, both Carlotta and Lydia had to fight back laughter as she appeared to climb up the man until he was forced to hold her with one arm. The young girl latched onto him, hugging him tightly. Erick hugged her back, holding her tightly. Lydia smiled at the two of them. _I __can totally see him being the overprotective big brother. Excellent father, too, come to think of it._

Mila crawled along Erick's shoulders until she was sitting on them, looking down at everyone else. Erick held her legs firmly, his eyes rolling up to see her tiny hands holding fistfuls of his hair. "Just what are you doing up there?" he asked.

"Protecting you, like you did Mom and Lydia. Gotta watch your back, Mr. Dragonborn."

Erick sighed, and tried to ignore the women laughing. "It's Erick, Mila. Erick. You don't have to call me that."

"Oh, I know. I just like it."

Erick rolled his eyes, and looked to his housecarl and her partner. "You two OK?"

Lydia nodded and opened her mouth, but Carlotta was already speaking. "We are, thank you. I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Erick. Thank you for being the best friend Lydia, my daughter, or I could ever have." Erick opened his mouth to reply, but Carlotta simply continued to speak. "What would you say to a picnic soon, a big family outing? The four of us? My treat, a way to say 'thank you.'"

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Mila exclaimed. "Mr. Dragonborn, can you Shout and make the fish jump out of the water? That would be so great!"

Erick just smiled, and his eyes met Lydia's. The two of them just smiled at each other, and Carlotta watched the two of them visibly relax in one another's presence. _I ran here to escape one man, and found a best friend in another one,_ she thought. _I guess secrets can be easier to handle when they see the light of day._

* * *

OK, so here's the deal - as a gamer, I'm well aware that gay marriage exists in _Skyrim_ as a game mechanic. That said, I have a seriously hard time reconciling that with the general time period and social setting depicted in the gameworld. My way to reconcile these two things was this; gay relationships do occur, but it's generally seen as unnatural and frowned upon. It took the arrival of the Dragonborn to shake the people of Whiterun from their complacency, but there's no saying they'll suddenly "be cool with it" or anything. Just another step on the way for Lydia and Erick.

Also, I'm house- and dog-sitting this week. I hope to get another chapter posted this weekend, but I can't promise anything.


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